Oyster-shucking machine.



B. P. DANDRIDGE.

OYSTER SHUGKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, 1913.

1, 1 1 7,984, Patented Nov. 24, 1914-.

2 SHBBTSSHEET 1.

.rn: NURRI PETERS 60., PHOTo-LlTHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

E. P. DANDRIDGE. OYSTER sauome MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED DEO.17, 1913. 1 1 1 7,984 Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS CU" PHOTO-LITHOU WnanlNGTON. D, C

certain new and useful Oyster-S EDWARD P. DANDRIDGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

OYSTER-SI-IUCKING- MACHINE.

Application filed December 17, 1913.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, EDWARD P. DANDRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented Improvements in hucking Machines, of which the following is a specificatio 7 My invention relates to improvements in oyster shucking machines, the object of the invention being to provide an improved machine of this character which will securely clamp the oyster and cause the end of the oyster to bereadily broken.

A further object is to provide a machine of this character which may be operated with equal facility by t a right handed or left handed operator, and which will, insure a uniformly clean and sanitary operation of shucking'the oysters.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. In the'accompanying drawings: Figure l is a plan view illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a View in section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a view in longitudinal section through the plunger. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the plunger.

1 represents a base which ispreferably of heavy timber having a 'centralopening 2,

said base strengthened by lateral bolts 3 at the ends of the opening 2, and metal straps 4 and 5 are positioned at the ends of the base to strengthen the structure at this point. Angle brackets 6 are secured to the base and form feet to hold the same in slightly elevated position above a suitable support to which securing devices (not shown) are attached and located in openings 7 in the angle brackets.

8 and 9 represent pivoted jaws which are pivotally connected to the base 1 by bolts 10, and the latter are connected by a strap 11 to rigidly hold the parts at their pivot points. Each jaw is preferablycomposed of wood with reinforcing metal strips 12 at top and bottom The jaws at their free ends and on their opposed faces are provided with removable plates 13 which are roughened-on their outer surface to firmly grip the edges of an oyster illustrated in dotted lines at 14.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, -1914. Serial No. 807,180.

An angular trough 15 is supported on the base lbetween the jaws 8 and 9, and is adapted to receive the oyster thereon and catch the liquor escaping from the oyster and direct it into the opening 2. The front end of the base 1 has a recess 16 therein in which a vertically adjustable anvil 17 is located. This anvil is secured by means of a set screw 18 projecting through the front strap 5 and holdingthe anvil at any position of adjustment.

Relatively heavy angle brackets 19 are secured to the basel by screws 20 and are provided with alined screw-threaded openings 21 to receive screws 22. These screws at their inner ends have swiveled connection with yokes 23, and the latter are pivot-ally connected to the jaws 8 and 9 respectively by means of vertically positioned pivot pins 2 1. On the outer endsof the screws 22, hand wheels 25 are fixed and by hand wheels, the jaws are caused to move toward and away from each other. Each jaw near its free end is provided with an opening 26, and in either of these openings,a standard 27 is adapted to be positioned and supported to turn. The standard 27 has pivotally connected thereto between its ends, anarm 28 which carries a plunger 29 to engage the oyster. This plunger 29 is screwthreadedand engages in a screw-threaded opening 30 in an angle 31 constituting an extension of the arm 28. The angle 31 is guided in a strap 32 on the free end of the arm 28, and the plunger 29 extends through a slot 33 in the arm and is clamped by means ofa nut 31 engaging a washer against the upper face of the arm.

A cross pin 36 :is positioned through the plunger to facilitate its adjustment. The adjustment of the plunger and the clamping of the same infiXed position serves to clamp the arm 33 and the angle 31 together, so that they become one continuous member adapted to be forced downwardly by means of a handle 37 on the end of the angle 31.

Two coiled springs 38 connect eyes 39 on the arm with eyes 40 on an extension 41 at the upper end of the standard 27, so that said springs tend always to hold the arm in an elevated position and return it to such position.

To strengthen the free ends of the jaws 8 and 9, and guide them in their movement, I provide a'transverse bar 42 which is secured to blocks 43 by upright screws 4% having means of these nuts 45 on their ends. The "free ends of the jaws are recessed as shown at as to receive the bar, and the screws and nuts last relerred to operate to limit the outward pivotal movement of the jaws.

In operation, an oyster is placed on the trough 15 with the mouth of the oyster extending over the anvil 16. lVith one hand one of the wheels 25 is turned to move a jaw toward the other jaw and clamp the oyster against movement. With the other hand, the operator grasps handle 37 and forces the plunger 29 downwardly to bring the mouth oi the oyster against the anvil. By providing the two openings 26, the parts may be arranged so that the plunger may be operated with either hand, and it is to be understood that it will be only necessary to operate one jaw and the other will remain stationary, so that with one hand the operator can control the clamping of the oyster and with the other hand the breaking of the same.

The oyster shells may be readily disposed of by dropping them through the opening in the base.

"Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters lfatent is:

1. An oyster shucking machine comprising a base, a vertically adjustable anvil on the base, oyster clamping means adapted to clamp an oyster above the anvil, and a movable plunger adapted to engage the oyster, substantially as described.

An oyster shuclzing machine comprising a base, a vertically adjustable anvil on the base, oyster clamping means adapted to clamp an oyster above-the anvil, a rotary stanc'lard, an arm pivotally connected to the standard, springs normally holding the arm in elevated position, and a plunger carried by the arm and adapted to engage the oyster, substantially described.

3. An oyster shucking machine comprising a base, movable jaws on the base, screws connected to the jaws, hand wheels secured to the screws, oyster engaging plates secured to the jaws and adapted to engage the edges of an oyster, and a vertically movable plunger adapted to engage the oyster when clamped between the jaws, substantially described.

l. in oyster shrieking machine comprising a base, movable aws on the base, screws connected to the jaws, hand wheels secured to the screws, ovster engaging plates se- 1,1 mesa cured to the jaws and adapted to engage the edges of an oyster, a vertically adjustable anvil on the base over which the oyster is adapated to be held by the jaws, and a vertically movable plunger adapted to engage the plunger above the anvil, substantially as described.

5. An oyster shucking machine comprising a base, movable jaws on the base having openings therein, a standard adapted to be positioned in either of said openings, an arm pivotally connected to the standard, a handle on the free end of the arm, springs normally holding the arm in elevated position, and a plunger secured to the arm and adapted to engage the oyster, substantially as described.

6. An oyster shucking machine comprising a base, movable jaws on the base having openings therein, a vertically adjustable anvil on the base over which the oyster is adapted to be held by the jaws, said jaws having openings in their free ends, a standard adapted to be positioned in either of said openings, an arm pivotally connected to the standard, a handle on the free end of the arm, springs normally holding the arm in elevated position, and a plunger secured to the arm and adapted to engage the oyster, substantially as described.

7. An oyster shocking machine comprising a base, movable jaws 0n the base having openings therein, said jaws having openings in their free ends, a standard adapted to be positioned in either of said openings, an arm pivotally connected to the standard, a handle on the free end of the arm, springs normally holding the arm in elevated position, said arm comprising two members having longitudinal adjustment, a screw-threaded plunger projected through said members, means on the plunger clamping the same to the members and the latter to each other, and said plunger at its lower free end adapted to engage an oyster clamped between the jaws, substantially as described.

8. An oyster shuching machine comprising a base, movable jaws on the base having openings therein, a vertically adjustable anvil on the base over which the oyster is adapted to be held by the jaws, said jaws having openings in their free ends, a standard adapted to be positioned in either of said openings, an arm pivotally connected to the standard, a handle on the free end of the arm, springs normally holding the arm in elevated position, said arm comprising two members having longitudinal adjustment, a screw-threaded plunger projected through said members, means on the plunger clamping the same to the members and the latter to each other, and said plunger at its lower free end adapted to engage an oyster clamped between the jaws, substantially as described.

9. An oyster shucking machine, compris- In testimony whereof I have signed my ing a base having an opening therein, an name to this specification in the presence of 0 oyster supporting trough on the base, a vertwo subscribing Witnesses. tically adjustable anvil at one end of the trough, movable jaws adapted to clamp an EDWARD DANDRIDGE' oyster on the trough over the anvil, and. a Witnesses: vertically movable plunger adapted to en- CHAS. E. Po'rrs,

gage the oyster, substantially as described. M. E. Drr'rUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

